We're burying the rules based order. But what's next?

In a widely-praised Davos speech, Carney argued that the "rules-based order" was a discourse born out of insecurity over the West's decline, and that it was used to preserve power structures rather than promote inclusive governance, with Carney stating that Western states must apply "the same standards to allies and rivals".
Carney's remarks emphasized the need for a middle-power coalition to reform and renew multilateralism, rather than simply pooling resources to survive in an uncertain world, and highlighted the importance of respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the basic principles of the UN Charter, with a focus on "variable geometry" and ad hoc partnerships.
The speech omitted discussion of multilateral reform, a crucial aspect of ensuring the legitimacy and effectiveness of international institutions, with experts arguing that reforming bodies like the UN Security Council is necessary to prevent the decline of international law and cooperation, and that middle powers must rally behind a compelling vision of reform to pressure great powers to embrace change, as noted by authors at Responsible Statecraft.